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Nowell delayed surgery for England

Exeter flyer Jack Nowell said that he avoided surgery before England's tour to Australia to make sure he could play.

The Chiefs winger persevered through a fairly banged up thumb during England's three-Test series against Australia which they would eventually win 3-0.

"My thumb was sore after the Wasps game but I’d been in a similar position before the New Zealand tour two years ago when I had a chance to have surgery on my knee and took it," Nowell told The Rugby Paper.

"But this time was different. It was the first time Chiefs had been in a Premiership final so there was no way I was going to miss that. And having missed a tour to New Zealand before, I wasn’t going to miss going to Australia either.

"It’s just one of those things where you have to strap the thumb up and as long as everything stays in place it shouldn’t hurt too much, but I did catch it a few times.

"But it was 100 per cent worthwhile, though, because that tour was fantastic."

Nowell has now had the necessary surgery and should be out for about two months.

"Hopefully the thumb won’t take too long. I’ve got a cast on at the moment while the bone fully heals and the ligaments reattach, but I’m still doing a lot of running and I want to be back out there as soon as possible."